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RE: Maybe...

Who ME? Ideal soundstage for an orchestra? I just assumed that a hall would have to be some form of compromise based soley on it's architecture needing to be in the shape of some kind of reasonably efficient box, and having seating capacity in the hundreds or few thousand.

It might be best left as a philosophical rabbit hole. Even if in theory there was a "more better" space, we'll likely not see a "orchestral recording studio", if indeed the acoustics of the hall is so immensely ingrained in the experience. So let's say for a second that a range of seats within the Musikverein, or Carnegie, or Boston Symphony Hall is a very great starting point, if not ideal. Now the question remains, how do you capture it? Two mics? Blumlein pair? XY Array? And once you've established that, will we be purists, or will spot mics be used for sections or soloists?

Which "answer" is going to result in the more emotionally engaging and subjectively superior experience? The recording that attempts to capture the time-related information of the "ideal seat" most accurately? Or will it be a conglomeration of aspects of the venue combined with some smoke and mirrors done on the mixing console? Once you introduce spot mics for groups or soloists, I think you're in that black-art-of-recording area where - at best - you're getting a feel for the acoustics of the space.

Bottom line, perhaps attempting to recreate the sonics of the space at that specific location is not what is going to translate to the most "I'm feeling there" experience. And, of course, this subjective assessment is perhaps best left to those who are at least somewhat (if not intinately) familiar with the venues in question. ;-)


Surely, the Golden Ear Award will go to the chap who can identify the seat and row used for the HRTF dummy-head recording done in a given hall.... ;-)


Cheers,
Presto



Edits: 06/10/25
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